US Rushing to Keep Up with Russian, Chinese Killer Robots…(Oh, Great…)
En.farsnews.com
Tue Dec 15, 2015
TEHRAN (FNA)- Hollywood has long warned about the dangers of artificially intelligent robots. Now the Pentagon is thinking about future autonomous armies, and the possibility that it’s falling behind Russia and China in the race for weaponized artificial intelligence (AI).
If blockbuster hits like “Terminator” and “Blade Runner” can be taken seriously, super-intelligent robots are extremely effective fighters. While neither film presents a positive view of mechanized warrior-humanoids, the prospect of fighting ground wars without involving humans is proving too tempting for the world’s militaries to ignore, Sputnik reported.
Russia, China, and the United States are currently in pursuit of autonomous robots capable of conducting independent military actions and, according to claims made by US Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work, the Pentagon is in danger of falling behind.
“We know that China is already investing heavily in robotics and autonomy and the Russian Chief of General [Valery Vasilevich] Gerasimov recently said that the Russian military is preparing to fight on a roboticized battlefield and he said, I quote, ‘In the near future, it is possible that a complete roboticized unit will be created capable of independently conducting military operations,” Work said, according to Defense One.
In speculating what form Russia’s future autonomous army could take, Patrick Tucker opines that the Kremlin could be focused on “some future version of the Armata T-14” tank. Writing for Defense News, Tucker quoted a Russian defense contractor who said that “we are gradually moving away from crewed machines.”
Tucker also mentioned an announcement from the Russian Defense Ministry calling for the future deployment of sentry robots. These units could select and eliminate targets without human interaction.
On the Chinese front, Beijing has already perfected a small, motorized robot. Ideal for urban combat, the unit can be outfitted with an assault rifle, grenade, or anti-tank weaponry.
Speaking before the Center for New American Century on Monday, Work warned of the dangers posed by these new technologies, referencing familiar fears about Russian and Chinese “aggression.”
“I will make a hypothesis: that authoritarian regimes who believe people are weaknesses…that they cannot be trusted, they will naturally gravitate toward totally automated solutions,” he said.
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